The surrounding atmosphere changed dramatically. The air had become perceptibly heavier and more viscous, making it harder to breathe. It seemed to be sticking to my skin, prickling it.
My gaze had gotten partially clouded by the invisible fog that saturated my surroundings and which I recognized to be mana. Although it was not visible in the typical sense, my eyes seemed to detect its presence, thus resulting in a reduction of visibility similar to the one caused by looking through a clouded glass. Moreover, the longer the exposition time to mana got, the more I felt the prickling and heating on my skin increase.
My body became aware of the situation on its own and responded to the situation. The circulation of aura, which until now had been completely diverted towards Faye, started to be directed also towards the rest of my body. Aura flowed through the circulatory system, filling every single capillary and reaching just under the skin. The burning sensation caused by the ambient mana disappeared and my vision cleared, making me capable of focusing on my surroundings again. Despite this, mana had not disappeared and I could still perceive it somewhat, although on a more unconscious level than before.
The land around me was exactly as I remembered it: an expanse of rock and nothing else. The few trunks I had seen in the past had shrunk considerably, both in number and in size, and I was able to recognize that they were not withered trees, but were indeed fossilised. Outside the Perimeter, only a world of stone and corrosive air awaited us.
The ground had been eroded over time by the action of mana and for this reason now a succession of smooth gentle slopes stretched around me. Uneven ground would have made the journey more difficult. This was an advantage for me, as the almost totally smooth ground would make towing the wagon along an easier feat.
I turned towards Faye and made sure the aura I had infused her with was doing its job. Fortunately, no problem had arisen and on the contrary, its shielding effect seemed to be working more effectively for her than for me, considering how she had basically become invisible to the mana, which flowed around her as if she were not even there. Faye squeezed my hand and gave me a slight nod, confirming my assumptions.
“It is rare to see such a level of tuning between two individuals. Anyway, if there are no further issues, it would be better to embark on the journey; so, once more I would suggest we get back on the road. Miss, if I may”, Sloan intervened, extending a hand to Faye.
She turned towards me. It was my turn to give her a nod, signalling her to accept the invitation. I let go of her hand and the current of aura which had been established between the two of us was terminated.
“Return later”, I whispered to her.
The aura I had infused inside of her wouldn't last forever, but if used in conjunction with her ability to keep surrounding mana at bay, its effects should last for a reasonable amount of time. When she would eventually realise that the presence of my aura inside of her was faded, she would simply have to come back to me to get a “refill”.
Though her expression betrayed some degree of discontent, Faye accepted Sloan's offered hand and took her place on the sitting platform. The space available was limited, nevertheless I still saw her trying to limit her physical contact with Sloan.
“Go in that direction”, Sloan said, pointing to a place beyond the horizon and away from the Perimeter.
I turned around again and looked forward, focusing on the journey ahead. Although there were no landmarks, I didn't need them. The direction to take was clear in my head and I didn't need anything else.
I started walking and pulling and the wagon followed in my steps. The metal wheels, which lacked proper suspensions, screeched and pounded against the stone, generating a barely sufferable noise. The feat of hauling the wagon across the expanse required a certain level of physical exertion, at least initially. Once I managed to reach a good sustained pace, I started to exploit the descents portion of the march in order to accelerate the wagon without tiring me out and, by keeping its velocity by employing the bare minimum amount of strength, even during ascents, I managed to keep it moving almost by itself, driven forward by its own inertia.
I towed for hours, with Faye periodically walking by my side hand in hand in order to receive my aura. The landscape around me remained basically unchanged and had it not been for the obsidian pillars and the distant mountain range which had grown smaller due to the distance travelled, I would not have been able to confidently say if we had actually moved at all.
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The sun had crossed the sky and was about to set when we finally reached the destination previously indicated by Sloan. In the middle of the grey rocky expanse a road beginning from my position and continuing beyond the horizon stretched out before my eyes. It extended in a straight line for long stretches, while in other areas it meandered among the hillsides. The road was not made of asphalt or stone like in my old world, but it was made of an obsidian material like glass, similar to the one constituting the immense pillars that encircled the Perimeters.
“My friends, I present you the Obsidian Path”, Sloan said.
His words stimulated my memory and reminded me of a thought I was sure I had erased well before becoming part of this world, but which nevertheless now presented itself to me.
The Obsidian Paths, the roads between the perimeters. They were pathways built at the time of the fall of the old world, when the first archumans were still young and the geogenai were still considered friends, to connect the few remaining human communities which took refuge in those locations which had now become the current Perimeters. The material constituting these roads was similar to the one used to build the pillars, but it gave them quite an opposite behaviour: they did not accumulate mana in their surroundings, but instead repelled it.
They constituted safe routes for travellers. The Obsidian Paths had been erected on the surface following along the ley lines, underground paths that stretched across the continent and the planet and where mana accumulated and flowed.
Such a design choice, although counterintuitive, amplified the effectiveness of the Paths. As a matter of fact, the environmental mana, subject to the effect of the two opposing but synergic forces, the repulsive one exerted by the Path and the attractive one by the corresponding ley line, pushed the mana underground, away from the surface and into the depths of the earth.
The final result was therefore the formation of territories around the Paths, which could be considered safe, where the corrosivity of mana was radically reduced, the occurrence of storms was almost impossible and where mana-born entities were repelled and did not set foot.
Mana density was not as low as within a Perimeter, so I would have to keep supplying Faye with aura, but at least the “refills” could be carried out less frequently now.
“The Sun is setting, I think it’s time to set up camp”, I said turning towards my travel companions.
Faye was still sitting, while Sloan had already gotten down. He walked to the back of the wagon and opened the sealed door. After entering and rummaging through it, he emerged with some provisions. A strange smile was printed on his face.
“I'm afraid we can’t do that”, he said.
As a reply, I raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding what he meant.
“My friend, the trip was meant for two, but there are three of us. It would be unwise to extend our travel times and risk not having enough supplies. Especially when we have someone like you>, he continued.
“Someone like me? What are you trying to say?”, I inquired in a neutral tone.
“I learned about how you got the role of representative. You are quite the interesting individual: an arch on a whole other level with respect to your peers. And, I know it well, an arch who doesn’t need to sleep anymore, am I right? For this reason, now eat, then keep walking. I want to get to the Alpha Perimeter as soon as possible”
Sloan's last words betrayed malice. His intention to wear me out was obvious, although I didn’t exactly know why. I could have tried to oppose him, but I hadn’t still been able to accurately gauge his strength. Starting a fight now would be a gamble that I couldn’t afford to take, considering the fact that Faye would almost certainly get caught in the middle.
“Excuse me, don’t you think...”, Faye tried to intervene, but I signalled her not to speak and she stopped. At her first words, Sloan's expression had tightened. It was clear he would not accept any protest.
I had taken off the chains in order to eat comfortably. Once I had finished my simple meal, I put them back on and started pulling the wagon once again. Maybe due to the guilt for not having been able to intervene in my favour or maybe as a sign of solidarity, Faye had decided to walk by my side for the whole nocturnal march. I initially tried to dissuade her, but at her protest I desisted.
The sun had gone down, but my vision had not been compromised. My gaze had become sharper than in the past, the crescent moon lit up the night and the deep black road stood out from the surroundings. Eventually the fatigue caused by the long day seemed to finally set in and get the better of Faye, as tiredness began to manifest on her face. Although she was struggling to keep herself awake, she would soon collapse.
“Miss, you are clearly tired. Come here, you can lean on me and sleep”, Sloan's voice resounded in the dark.
“There is no need for that”, I said instinctively, without even turning. Faye said nothing and from her silence she seemed to agree with my words.
After a few minutes of walking, I saw Faye's pace become unstable. The moment I saw her miss a step, I took hold of her, lifted her and took her in my arms. A small cry of surprise escaped her lips for a moment, but she didn't oppose any resistance and indeed she seemed to accept my intervention. Supporting her in my arms, I got her to place her head on my shoulder and I made sure she was in the most comfortable position possible.
“Rest”, I whispered in her ear.
Without a word, she put her arms around my neck and I heard her immediately fall into a deep sleep. Without worrying about the thoughts of the individual behind me, I continued on without stopping.